Samantha Greenbriar
Samantha "Sam" Greenbriar is the protagonist of "Gone Home" and the younger (by three years) sister of Kaitlin Greenbriar. Sam is only ever seen in-game in family pictures and is heard through her journal entries to Katie. Biography New House Just prior to her Senior year of High School, Sam's older sister Kaitlin departs for Europe to spend her Sophomore year of College abroad. After she leaves, the Greenbriar family moves into their new house: a mansion in Arbor Hill, Oregon willed to them by Terrence Greenbriar's uncle, Sam and Kaitlin's great uncle, Oscar Masan. As a result of the move, Sam began attending a new school, Goodfellow High School. As she does so, Sam keeps a journal detailing her experiences to Katie in her absence. On her first day, Sam tells her new classmate that she recently moved in to the house on Arbor Hill, which was known to belong to Oscar Masan, most notable for his mental problems. Thus her new home was known as the "Psycho House". From then on, most students knew Sam as "The Psycho House Girl". Students often tease her about it, asking her of her uncle's mental instability was something that ran in the family. Meeting Lonnie As Sam goes through school, she spots a senior girl who, as she describes to Katie, dresses somewhat punk but sometimes in an Army uniform, and often draws intensely in a notebook. She feels compelled to meet her. She notices that the girl and her friends play "Street Fighter" at a local 7-11 each day after school, and eventually works up the courage to ask them if she can have a turn. Despite her practice playing at home, she is thoroughly defeated by them. Afterward, the senior girl asks her if she is the one known as "that Psycho House Girl", and states that she has always wanted to see the inside. Sam learns that her name is Lonnie DeSoto and invites her over for a tour. As Sam becomes friends with Lonnie, she feels uncertain of herself while hanging out with other girls, as the only close friend she has ever had is Daniel, a boy from her old school with whom she hung out with because of his Nintendo games. Yet Lonnie is the first person she feels normal around. Sam begins to spend more and more time with Lonnie, performing "Ghost Hunts" in the house (attempts to spot and even contact Uncle Oscar's spirit), watching Pulp Fiction and dyeing their hair red. After each of them have applied hair dye to the other, Lonnie looks at Sam and tells her that she is beautiful. Sam later tells Katie that the experience is so intimate to her, she is unable to respond. Secret Dating Sam also attends a concert in the city, about which she lies to her parents, with Lonnie and stays at a friend's place afterward. Sam and Lonnie share a futon to sleep on, and Lonnie looks at Sam in the darkness, smiling at her but Sam felt nervous and rolled over. After a minute, she puts her arm around Sam, telling her that she really likes her. Sam just nodded and hoped Lonnie could tell. However, Lonnie feels guilty about it later on and doesn't face Sam when she comes over next. Sam insists that there was nothing wrong with her actions, but can barely say anything more than that. Lonnie then sits next to Sam and kisses her. From there, they become girlfriends in secret. Unfortunately, when Sam tells Lonnie about getting into a College Summer Reading course and suggests that she come visit her in her dorm, Lonnie tells her that she leaves for Basic Military Training on June 6, after graduation (something she has been planning to do for a long time). Sam is left confused by this, but Lonnie dismisses it and offers that they have fun together while they can. "Getting" Lonnie Later in the year, Lonnie, after returning from a school trip to Mexico (during which she sent Sam postcards and a decorative skull), joins her friend's band as their lead singer, leaving Sam awestruck by her singing abilities. Unfortunately, their new relationship also causes Sam and Lonnie to get into trouble at school, such as straying from the group and nearly missing the bus on a school field trip. Sam's mother, Janice, grows very skeptical of Lonnie and her influence on Sam. Sam begins to worry about what would happen should her parents find out about their relationship. When Sam's parents confront her about her behavior and low grades, she tells them about her relationship with Lonnie. Sam expects them to react with anger or sadness, but instead they completely deny it, believing it is a "phase" that she is going through and telling her that she simply hasn't "met the right boy" yet. Sam writes to Katie that their parents would "be in for a very long phase." Daniel comes over to collect his Nintendo games, bringing with him a story that he and Sam wrote when they were younger. Sam begins to cry and tells him about what has been happening in her life and how regretful she was that their friendship hadn't lasted. He hugs her and tells her that everything would be all right. She takes some comfort in this, but still has trouble coping with the fact that Lonnie will be gone. Leaving On June 3, Sam's parents leave for a couple's retreat to celebrate their anniversary, returning on the same day as Katie came back from her year abroad. Two days before Lonnie leaves, Sam attends her farewell concert. She forgets everything that is going on and is once again in awe at Lonnie's talents, but when Lonnie dedicates the final song to her, Sam goes out into the alley and starts to cry. Lonnie joins her later, apologizing for everything and stating that she only wanted to make Sam happy. They both agreed that their last evening together would be their happiest. On the last night, they performed their ritual in contacting Oscar and "seeing him off" to the other side, and then looked through all the photographs they had taken together in the Attic. In doing so, Sam realizes that all of her times with Lonnie were in the past and that none would follow. Sam began to cry again; Lonnie attempted to comfort her, telling her that life would move on. However, Sam didn't want her life to continue without her. Lonnie begins to cry as well, and Sam eventually falls asleep in her arms. She awakens the next morning to find that Lonnie has already left. She spends that day in the Attic, wishing that Lonnie would come running up the steps as she always did. She falls asleep in the Attic again, missing the two times Lonnie called the house on a payphone. She only barely managed to answer the third call: Lonnie couldn't bring herself to go through with joining the Army if it meant being away from Sam, and got off the bus in Salem. She tells Sam to pack everything she can into her car, come find her and just drive until they find a place for them. She then asks Sam if she is able to do that. Sam agrees. In one final journal entry to Katie, she apologizes for not being able to see her return and telling her about her experiences in person. She hopes that Katie will understand what she had been through and why she made her choice, without being saddened or angry towards her. Sam concludes the final entry telling Katie that she loves her and promising that they would see each other again someday. Sam puts a note on the front door to her (in addition to two others in the house), and then departs to find Lonnie and begin their new life. Category:Females Category:Greenbriar family members